How the Rockets are getting absolutely jobbed by the referees against the Blazers. With statistics!

You really can't argue with that.

I thought it was strange how Portland went 17-0 in the first half in game 1. It helped Portland sustain the Rockets energy and completely kept them in the game.

It has been weird.

 

People want to b**** about coaching and execution on the board, but I think this is the key to why we are struggling with a combination of Harden's shooting. I think Harden is struggling because he can't get to the line as easily. But I'm not sure I blame it entirely on the refs. Harden and Howard really need to show their leadership and be more aggressive and they'll get the refs benefit of the doubt more often. You can overanalyze NBA playoff basketball with coaching and who should be in the rotation and what kind of plays should be run, but it always boils down to the superstars on your team and how they preform.

 

Hack-a-Howard happened twice by my count in game 3.

The second time they claimed, or it might have been, unintentional.

Watching the games, I can't help but feel like the refs were briefed to avoid giving Harden foul calls.

Oh well, his job to man up and play some physical ball.

 

Houston does seem to foul more when playing defense than Portland does.

Granted, the refs did miss some slaps on Howard, along with not buying into Harden's antics due to his reputation as a flopper.

However, Portland's players do have a step up when it comes to playing perimeter defense without fouling.

 

Great numbers. The only reason I can fathom is that Portland has a better rep as a defensive team so they're getting away with no calls while Houston (notoriously bad on defense) gets whistled. Still there's no excuse for this garbage. This series has been amazing but very frustrating to watch.

 

They have completely swallowed the whistle for James Harden. His normal "show the ball, get defender to swipe and draw foul" move isn't working. Plus they are not calling anything inside for Howard. He is beasting and they are letting the contact go.

I like it as far as they are consistent. But then you see some touch fouls, specially on jump shooters which really piss me off.

 

Damian Lillard avg 5.2 FTA regular season, avg 11 FTA last 3 games

 

What? Rockets were a top 10 defensive team majority of the season whereas Portland was 22nd or something

 

If Harden was not 14-47 the first two games, your numbers might have more merit. As it is, if Harden was simply 20-47 (still below is season average) and all other things being equal, Houston would be up 3-0 right now.

 

Except how many of those misses would have been called fouls in the regular season?

 

He's always been reliant on getting to the foul line to help create "space" for his game.

Once you get physical with him, and you're not calling fouls, he's pretty much neutralized and has to start forcing up shots in volume to get enough to go in.

The main issue is that the refs have overcorrected to account for his flopping (they did the same thing last year), and it took him out of his comfort zone.

He needs to develop a post-game in the off-season.... refs seem to be able to call post-up fouls on guards more consistently.

 

Does anyone else realize how different everything would be right now if the refs had called a loose ball foul on Jeremy Lin over Mo Williams on that now-famous play?

The way the reffing has been in this series, I'm frankly shocked that they didn't. That's just the type of thing that would have left me seething for days.

 

it's true, but that's the way the refs are callin git. what pisses me off the most is that Alrdige gets these p***y ass foul calls and that dwight clearly gets contact and **** and get nothing. it's because the refs are biased.

Because Dwight plays a physical game, they assume it's okay to have that kind of contact, but it's NOT okay for alrdridge to get the same physical contact treatment from other players. wtf is this. and then the time when Lin gets harassed 2x from Williams and Linw as waiting fo ra call, nothing so he goes up for the layup instead to punish.

tired of these refs. gotta beat portland and the refs. w.e David and Goliath.

/rant.

 

Most players struggle when they are getting hacked with no calls. If you breath near Lillard or LMA they are at the line but you can hack Howard and Harden with no repercussions (in fact it usually leads to a missed shot and a wasted possession)

 

lma gets some pretty questionable phantom calls.

 

Difference is that Harden has a reputation of initiating/forcing/flopping to sell the contact (without attempting to actually make the shot). He was going to the foul line in OKC before he was actually a real "star" because he learned how to **** his head back and flail with the slightest bit of contact.

Now that he's in the spotlight, the refs no longer are giving him the benefit of the doubt.

He's been going to that strategy FIRST.... and when the refs don't call it, he looks lost.

 

I think the first game was most egregious but we probably should have lost game 2.

 

So they are ignoring fouls because he has a reputation for causing people to foul him? Makes sense.....

 

It's not an exaggeration to say that Harden should have been to the line at least 4 or 5 more times last night and Howard should have been to the line about 4 or 5 more times himself. The refs are just ignoring it when those guys get hacked and it's BS.